Top-5 Finish For Sadler At Michigan |

06/13/2015

Top-5 Finish For Sadler At Michigan

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 13, 2015) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Elliott Sadler finished in fifth place during Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Michigan International Speedway. Sadler qualified for the125 lap event on Saturday morning and started the NXS race from the 16^th position. Running well, Sadler entered pit road 11^th during the scheduled competition caution on Lap 26. Sadler had a fast pit stop, but was penalized for too many men over the wall. The extra man was a crew member who fell over the wall when he tried to grab a rolling tire. Sadler was penalized and had to go to the back of the field. Sadler pushed through the adversity and methodically worked his way forward with quality pit stops and disciplined passing. Sadler was able to hold his ground on the final restarts and managed to drive his No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford Mustang across the finish line in the fifth position.

“Today was an action packed day for our No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford Mustang,” Sadler said after the race ended. “We qualified in the middle of the field, worked forward a few spots, experienced a pit road penalty, dodged a few wrecks on our way back to the front and through quality passes and our off schedule fuel strategy, we were about to put ourselves up front in the closing laps. With only one practice yesterday, my guys worked their tails off to get my car race ready. We definitely had a fast car today and I’m glad we were able to get our first Top-5 of the season.”

Sadler started from the 16^th position for the NXS race on Saturday afternoon. The competition yellow came out on Lap 26 and Sadler entered pit road 11^th. The team added four tires, fuel and made a small adjustment to the track bar. However, Sadler was penalized for too many crew members over the wall. When tire carrier rolled the old tire off to the side, another crew member reached out to grab the tire and fell over the wall. Sadler was penalized for this error and had to go to the back of the field.

After the competition caution, the race went back to green for only a few laps until the next caution came out. Since Sadler was still in the back of the field, it didn’t hurt to come down pit road to top off with fuel. Plus, the team had time for a crew member to place a small piece of tape on the grill for more downforce. After the restart, Sadler battled back to 15^th by Lap 40.

At the halfway point, Sadler radioed to the team that the car was really loose and he’d like help with right rear grip. On the following pit stop, the crew made the right adjustments to the track bar and helped tighten up the car to Sadler’s liking.

With 39 laps remaining in the race, Sadler entered pit road 10^th and the crew added four fresh tires, fuel and made a small wedge adjustment in the left rear.

On Lap 111, the yellow flag waved again for a big multicar wreck on the front stretch. At the time of the wreck, Sadler was scored in fifth.

With only two laps to go, Sadler raced his teammate, Chris Buescher for the fourth position. Sadler raced Buescher clean, but on the final lap of the race Buescher was able to gain the edge and pull ahead. Sadler crossed the finish line in fifth for his first Top-5 finish of the season.

Sadler and his No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford Mustang will be back in action next week at Chicagoland Speedway.

NEXT UP:

NASCAR XFINITY Race

Owens Corning AttiCat 300

Chicagoland Speedway

Joliet, IL

Saturday, June 20^th, 2015

9:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and MRN

RACE SUMMARY

Elliott Sadler

Started: 16th

Finished: 5th